Listen: Sub-R&B: Summer '19 (curated by @RamseySaidWHAT)

This is like the opposite of Chik Fil-A. This playlist slaps on a lazy Sunday Afternoon. We're back with another Sub R&B playlist. I started it on the notion that R&B has developed sub-genres, dabbles in other sounds, and crosses over harder than Tim Hardaway. Only this tie we have more music from rappers than we've ever had before. Even they dabble with their voices with or without the pitch correction and autotune.

This is music for the people with eclectic ears like ours. Some of these artists you know, you may know, and some you don't. All of it's a vibe. Enjoy this on the beach, late night in the whip, or in that quiet place with that special someone. I need you to feel this.

Editorial Review: Elephant Eyes - @Omen

Chi-town's Omen shakes up the game with his latest solo offering, Elephant Eyes. 

We already know he's signed to J. Cole's Dreamville label and been featured on a lot of Cole's earlier work. After all this time, Elephant Eyes is his first studio album. The project covers a lot of themes we all could relate to. Young brother with Daddy issues journeys through a life headed for stardom. How does it effect him or the people around him? How's the love life? How does he fit in our generation? Is he going to be great or just another piece to a bigger star's puzzle? Let's get to it.

In my opinion, Elephant Eyes doesn't really kick into the swing of things until track four. Every track has a theme and is essential for the story, but it's really just built up to the climax where he really debuts his skills. Omen really spends his time in Elephant Eyes trying to find his place in this hip-hop world.

Motion Picture kicks things off. His own produced track paints Omen in a bar reflecting. It's safe to say that is the setting of the entire project. Love Drug breaks down the story of the millenial. We've become the "show and tell" generation as my mother says. There's no mystery to us because we has a sick addiction to social media. Omen isn't afraid to attack our abuse of attention. CJ Hamilton talks his sh*t off the hooks. He represents the vanity of the young boys and girls of today. His twitter name at the end of the song is sad but true. Hilarious nonetheless.

Same Jezebel. One verse. One bridge. One hook. Not much to love or hate here. A place holder that's too long to be an interlude. The self title comes next. They say elephants remember everything, so does Omen. He recalls a past love and explains why they didn't work and how she calls him elephant eyes, rough breakup too. There's a skit at the end of the song that leads into Father Figure. I broke down the song in my editor's picks a few weeks ago. Same plight of a lot of young brothers without their father in their lives. It's kind of reminiscent to J. Cole's Breakdown from the Sideline Story.

One of my favorite projects on the album is Sketches of Paranoia featuring Bas. A little bit before listening to the album I watching Omen, Bas, and Cozz on Hot 97's Ebro in the Morning. They talked about their perspective careers and how most of their production and features were in house. That explains why he chose to keep his labelmate on this song. Omen talks about trying to remain humble in his new found stardom, while battling his vices. Bas joins with a story about a man in jail and his relationship with his son.

A rap album isn't complete without a collaboration with an R&B singer. Sweat it Out enlists the talents of labelmate Ari Lennox. This slow jam samples the string section and chorus from Justin Timberlake's Set the Mood Interlude from FutureSex/LoveSounds. Her voice is so unique to me. It sounds different on every song but she really just sounds like her. Zuri said she heard an Erykah Badu influence on Backseat. I can hear hints of that in this song too. Omen's verses tell a tale of lusting for a girl that isn't his. It happens sometimes (but I wouldn't know anything about that).

The next track Foolish Pride takes us from calm, cool, collected Omen and his childhood transition to who he is today. Not exactly a troubled kid but a tested one. Anyone who's transferred to a new school knows the anxiety that follows. It's short but essentially it's a reprise of his verse on J. Cole's Enchanted on Friday Night Lights. The song is followed by a monologue from Rocky Balboa and an interaction with his son and living in his father's legacy. The skit is tailor-made for the next song Big Shadows. He's essentially just a young emcee who came up with J. Cole and doesn't want to be seen as his protege. Ironic because J. Cole is featured on the next song, Things Change. The Ron Gilmore production serves as another climatic point in Elephant Eyes. The duo transcribe their rise to fame and how it effects the women in their lives. I love this beat. It's so smooth, but still upbeat. This is great song to ride on the parkway, run on the treadmill, or mediate with. The project concludes with Zion. Like the sample from Lauryn Hill, Omen pays tribute to his love on this track. This man on the road isn't afraid to settle down. "Nothin' makes a man feel better than a women. Nothin' make a man feel better than a Queen with a crown that be down for whatever."

I really like Omen. His skills as an emcee and producer are really polished. He does a great job manipulating his voice with the melody of the music from his singing on the hooks even down to his outright rap verses. Although he's a name we are just now starting to hear on the grand scheme of things he's been around for a long time dating back to features on The Warm Up. As Dreamville grows I expect to see growth from Omen too. Elephant Eyes took a little bit to kick up but like wine all good things are worth the wait. Elephant Eyes gets 4 of 5 stars on the Ramsey Rating Scale. My favorite songs are Sketches of Paranoia, Sweat it Out, Zion, and Things Change. There are only about two skips but even they serve a purpose. The second part of the album holds the bulk of the meat in this sandwich. Listen to Elephant Eyes after the break.

Editor's Picks: Week of 1-17-15

Album of the Week: Perfectly Imperfect - Elle Varner

This weeks album of the week for me serves as a slight throwback. It's funny what you find when you click shuffle on your phone. Perfectly Imperfect by Elle Varner was number five on my R&B AOTY 2012 if you've been riding with us that far back. I know everyone is wondering where Frank Ocean is but I could use a little Elle Varner. Songs like Refill and Only Wanna Give it To You featuring J. Cole will do that to you.



Song on Repeat: Father Figure - Omen

It's Lit! I think I've been saying that everyday for the past week. I'm still on a high of excitement because my God-daughter was born last week. I've been prepping for an Elephant Eyes review in the next coming week and this song just came on for me, and again, and again. I don't relate but my boy grew up without his pops so this is a song I've heard him spit without ever once going to the studio. Deep stuff. Look out for the review next week.


Throwback Jawn: You got me - The Roots & Erykah Badu

On the way to Philly for some business earlier this week Things Fall Apart was the playlist. When in Rome right? Sometimes it's good to listen to the classics and remind yourself why you listen to hip-hop in the first place. The Legendary Roots band, legendary spitter Black Thought, and legendary vocalist Erykah Badu on the same song. Music really was amazing back in the day. Take a trip with me.



 Underground: Seduction - Samad SaVage

Issah passed this young brother to me. I heard the instrumental to Electric Relaxation but slightly adjusted in the percussion. After that he immediately had my ear. The Montclair emcee shows great song structure, originality, and just sheer bars. Dude's got talent. "You know what this song is about bro?" Issah asks me. "Nah I missed it wassup?" "Abstinence." I'm impressed because he spits about his lifestyle instead of the trend of today: Money, Cars, Clothes, Hoes. There's more to the world than that huh? Listen for yourself below.

Listen: Big Shadows - @Omen

I most definitely dropped the ball by missing Elephant Eyes, Omen's debut album in July 2015.

After listening to Revenge of the Dreamers II, I most definitely had to take the trip back in time to Omen's project. J. Cole does a great job of not stepping on toes and providing the platform for his artists to shine on their own. Omen has been in the picture for a long time dating back to The Come Up days and earlier than that. However, he doesn't wanna be seen as Cole's protege. He scripts that tale in his song, Big Shadows. "Remember Spliff Star? remember Memphis Bleek? remember all them side kicks that ain't what's meant for me" Listen to Omen shine on his own below. You can expect a review of Elephant Eyes in the near future.

AOTY 2014 Review - 2014 Forest Hills Drive - @JColeNC

It's December 2014. Time is winding down and my staff is getting our album of the year lists together and boom! J. Cole announces his album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive is dropping in two weeks.

No lead singles, no features and still went platinum. No one has been able to do that since Nas in the 90's. The hype for the Born Sinner follow up was immense. We only got a few loosies and give away a after that project. He then performs on Letterman and performs an impactful new song, Be Free. I think it was deep that he played this in light of what was going on rather than a single from his album on the Late Show.

Let's get into the music. The Intro reminds me of Be Free. Sonically the keys provide a similar ambiance and he beckons to his people with the same question, "Do you wanna be free?" It transitions to the official first track, January 28th. This serves as the musical introduction. Verse one tackles his growth in the industry, verse two goes full circle and how he's touched by what was going on in Ferguson, MO at the time. The meat of the album comes next. Wet Dreamz I remember talking about how he painted another story we could all relate to in losing our "V card" in high school. The story telling continues in 03' Adolescence. A Tale of 2 Citez is next. I love everything about this song musically and the delivery is perfect. The beat is boom-bap but still something gritty enough the trap lovers can get down with. His flow leading to and on the hook was so tough. I'd go to another Cole concert just to see this song performed live. I also love the choral singing the bridge at the outro with him, clever.

Fire Squad is another radio jam that gets deep in the third verse about white privilege in the hip-hop community. He even name drops Timberlake, Eminem, Iggy, and Macklemore. "All good jokes contain true sh*t," Indeed. I like what Logic had to say about it especially because like J. Cole he is the product of mulatto parents. St. Tropez is still in my rotation a year later. It uses the same sample Mobb Deep used from an old Ester Phillips song in 1971. This song changes the mood of the album, really smooth, really chill. His message is about climbing up in the industry comparing St Tropez, France to Hollywood, CA. This isn't the first time he voiced his opinion on how fake Los Angeles is, remember LAnd of the Snakes? The sound changes but the theme stays the same in G.O.M.D. I don't think I understood this until now as I type. He's always explained his concerns on the mainstream. He let Nas down to make a good record and get heard. Whenever he does that he refers to himself as Hollywood Cole as he does on this song. It's funny because it's an oxymoron. The song is definitely a radio hit and bouncy like Big Sean's IDFWU. Whether I was thinking too deep or it flew over my head it's genius. Even the video paints a tale of how the people react to his plans, this time in the 1800's. The lyrics just show a more arrogant Cole talking about commercial music. It's pretty deep. To fully understand I think he threw in a curve ball with the words "The make/break up." Listen again for yourself. No Role Modelz is another song about the women from the city of angels and how to handle them. It's simple, no one likes a captain save-a-hoe. The personification and tribute to James Avery from the fresh prince was dope. Especially thinking back to Breakdown on his first album. Fast forward to his first official single after the album dropped, Apparently. As far as production on the entire album, J. Cole really took a liking to playing the keys more than usual. Omen, Vinylz, Cardiak and others threw some assists in that aspect as well.

All in all as I think it takes a little bit of time to take Cole in. Everytime you listen you hear something you may have missed even if you know all the lyrics. Perhaps that's why last year Cole was our split decision AOTY winner. I just needed more time to really get it rather than the two weeks before year's end. It's funny because in that review I rated his album higher (4.79 of 5 Stars) than the actual winner. Before Forest Hills, I complained Cole was telling the same story. I'm mullato, I graduated, I want Jay's spot. I didn't realize it took all of those stories to continue painting the grand picture, and it's still being painted. First to third album he's really grown and the fans have right with him. I really believe if one sample didn't get cleared and the album dropped three weeks later, we'd have a different AOTY for 2015. I guess that's why it sparked the Kendrick/Cole argument we've had all year. Read the original AOTY 2014 Review here.

Listen: Caged Bird - @JColeNC & @Omen

In case you've lived under a rock J. Cole's Dreamville dropped their new EP, Revenge of the Dreamers II.

Many didn't hear the first but I was one of few who was smart enough to listen. Since then the group has shown a lot of growth as a collective. J. Cole has done well compiling a group of people into a great unit, and trust me I know how hard that is. Many have heard of Bas, Cozz and Ari Lennox but the others are growing their voice respectively. My favorite of the tape is Caged Bird by Cole himself with an assist from Omen. The song has a super chill smooth beat and kinda reminisces to the classic Maya Angelo poem and Nina Simone song. Listen to that below after the break. Sidebar, yall did Steve Francis dirty in that album artwork.